The typical American picture of a family with 2.5 kids might not be as relevant as it once was: In 2023, there was an average of 1.94 children under 18 per family in the United States. This is a decrease from 2.33 children under 18 per family in 1960.

Familial structure in the United States

If there’s one thing the United States is known for, it’s diversity. Whether this is diversity in ethnicity, culture, or family structure, there is something for everyone in the U.S. Two-parent households in the U.S. are declining, and the number of families with no children are increasing. The number of families with children has stayed more or less constant since 2000.

Adoptions in the U.S.

Families in the U.S. don’t necessarily consist of parents and their own biological children. In 2021, around 35,940 children were adopted by married couples, and 13,307 children were adopted by single women.

The average American family in 2023 consisted of 3.15 persons. Families in the United States According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau counted about 84.33 million families in the United States. The average family consisted of 3.15 persons in 2021, down from 3.7 in the 1960s. This is reflected in the decrease of children in family households overall. In 1970, about 56 percent of all family households had children under the age of 18 living in the household. This percentage declined to about 40 percent in 2020. The average size of a family household varies greatly from state to state. The largest average families can be found in Utah, California, and Hawaii, while the smallest families can be found in Wisconsin, Vermont and Maine.

United States Average Vehicles per Household: w/ Children data was reported at 2.200 Unit in 2009. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.200 Unit for 2001. United States Average Vehicles per Household: w/ Children data is updated yearly, averaging 2.200 Unit from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2009, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.200 Unit in 2009 and a record low of 2.200 Unit in 2009. United States Average Vehicles per Household: w/ Children data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Center for Transportation Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.TA003: Number of Vehicles per Household.

The data on relationship to householder were derived from answers to Question 2 in the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS), which was asked of all people in housing units. The question on relationship is essential for classifying the population information on families and other groups. Information about changes in the composition of the American family, from the number of people living alone to the number of children living with only one parent, is essential for planning and carrying out a number of federal programs.

The responses to this question were used to determine the relationships of all persons to the householder, as well as household type (married couple family, nonfamily, etc.). From responses to this question, we were able to determine numbers of related children, own children, unmarried partner households, and multi-generational households. We calculated average household and family size. When relationship was not reported, it was imputed using the age difference between the householder and the person, sex, and marital status.

Household – A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit. (People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters.) A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other people in the building and which have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated people who share living arrangements.

Average Household Size – A measure obtained by dividing the number of people in households by the number of households. In cases where people in households are cross-classified by race or Hispanic origin, people in the household are classified by the race or Hispanic origin of the householder rather than the race or Hispanic origin of each individual.

Average household size is rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Comparability – The relationship categories for the most part can be compared to previous ACS years and to similar data collected in the decennial census, CPS, and SIPP. With the change in 2008 from “In-law” to the two categories of “Parent-in-law” and “Son-in-law or daughter-in-law,” caution should be exercised when comparing data on in-laws from previous years. “In-law” encompassed any type of in-law such as sister-in-law. Combining “Parent-in-law” and “son-in-law or daughter-in-law” does not represent all “in-laws” in 2008.

The same can be said of comparing the three categories of “biological” “step,” and “adopted” child in 2008 to “Child” in previous years. Before 2008, respondents may have considered anyone under 18 as “child” and chosen that category. The ACS includes “foster child” as a category. However, the 2010 Census did not contain this category, and “foster children” were included in the “Other nonrelative” category. Therefore, comparison of “foster child” cannot be made to the 2010 Census. Beginning in 2013, the “spouse” category includes same-sex spouses.

SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES HOUSEHOLDS BY TYPE - DP02 Universe - Total households Survey-Program - American Community Survey 5-year estimates Years - 2020, 2021, 2022 The responses to this question were used to determine the relationships of all persons to the householder, as well as household type (married couple family, nonfamily, etc.). From responses to this question, we were able to determine numbers of related children, own children, unmarried partner households, and multigenerational households. We calculated average household and family size. When relationship was not reported, it was imputed using the age difference between the householder and the person, sex, and marital status.

Families of tax filers; Census families with children by age of children and children by age groups (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

Families of tax filers; Single-earner and dual-earner census families by number of children (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country. MAIN RESULTS Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila. Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women. Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l. The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom. Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage. Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate, More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively). Information on various aspects of maternal and child health-antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home. Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy. Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases-polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis. During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids. Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months. Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19. The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution. Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.

The 1998 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). is a nationally-representative survey of 13,983 women age 15-49. The NDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends of fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and maternal and child health. It was implemented by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH). Macro International Inc. of Calverton, Maryland provided technical assistance to the project, while financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the DOH. Fieldwork for the NDHS took place from early March to early May 1998. The primary objective of the NDHS is to Provide up-to-date information on fertility levels; determinants of fertility; fertility preferences; infant and childhood mortality levels; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policy makers and program managers in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. MAIN RESULTS Survey data generally confirm patterns observed in the 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS), showing increasing contraceptive use and declining fertility. FERTILITY Fertility Decline. The NDHS data indicate that fertility continues to decline gradually but steadily. At current levels, women will give birth an average of 3.7 children per woman during their reproductive years, a decline from the level of 4.1 recorded in the 1993 NDS. A total fertility rate of 3.7, however, is still considerably higher than the rates prevailing in neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Fertility Differentials. Survey data show that the large differential between urban and rural fertility levels is widening even further. While the total fertility rate in urban areas declined by about 15 percent over the last five years (from 3.5 to 3.0), the rate among rural women barely declined at all (from 4.8 to 4.7). Consequently, rural women give birth to almost two children more than urban women. Significant differences in fertility levels by region still exist. For example, fertility is more than twice as high in Eastern Visayas and Bicol Regions (with total fertility rates well over 5 births per woman) than in Metro Manila (with a rate of 2.5 births per woman). Fertility levels are closely related to women's education. Women with no formal education give birth to an average of 5.0 children in their lifetime, compared to 2.9 for women with at least some college education. Women with either elementary or high school education have intermediate fertility rates. Family Size Norms. One reason that fertility has not fallen more rapidly is that women in the Philippines still want moderately large families. Only one-third of women say they would ideally like to have one or two children, while another third state a desire for three children. The remaining third say they would choose four or more children. Overall, the mean ideal family size among all women is 3.2 children, identical to the mean found in 1993. Unplanned Fertility. Another reason for the relatively high fertility level is that unplanned pregnancies are still common in the Philippines. Overall, 45 percent of births in the five years prior to the survey were reported to be unplanned; 27 percent were mistimed (wanted later) and 18 percent were unwanted. If unwanted births could be eliminated altogether, the total fertility rate in the Philippines would be 2.7 births per woman instead of the actual level of 3.7. Age at First Birth. Fertility rates would be even higher if Filipino women did not have a pattem of late childbearing. The median age at first birth is 23 years in the Philippines, considerably higher than in most other countries. Another factor that holds down the overall level of fertility is the fact that about 9 or 10 percent of women never give birth, higher than the level of 3-4 percent found in most developing countries. FAMILY PLANNING Increasing Use of Contraception. A major cause of declining fertility in the Philippines has been the gradual but fairly steady increase in contraceptive use over the last three decades. The contraceptive prevalence rate has tripled since 1968, from 15 to 47 percent of married women. Although contraceptive use has increased since the 1993 NDS (from 40 to 47 percent of married women), comparison with the series of nationally representative Family Planning Surveys indicates that there has been a levelling-off in family planning use in recent years. Method Mix. Use of traditional methods of family planning has always accounted for a relatively high proportion of overall use in the Philippines, and data from the 1998 NDHS show the proportion holding steady at about 40 percent. The dominant changes in the "method mix" since 1993 have been an increase in use of injectables and traditional methods such as calendar rhythm and withdrawal and a decline in the proportions using female sterilization. Despite the decline in the latter, female sterilization still is the most widely used method, followed by the pill. Differentials in Family Planning Use. Differentials in current use of family planning in the 16 administrative regions of the country are large, ranging from 16 percent of married women in ARMM to 55 percent of those in Southern Mindanao and Central Luzon. Contraceptive use varies considerably by education of women. Only 15 percent of married women with no formal education are using a method, compared to half of those with some secondary school. The urban-rural gap in contraceptive use is moderate (51 vs. 42 percent, respectively). Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of contraceptive methods and supply sources has been almost universal in the Philippines for some time and the NDHS results indicate that 99 percent of currently married women age 15-49 have heard of at least one method of family planning. More than 9 in 10 married women know the pill, IUD, condom, and female sterilization, while about 8 in 10 have heard of injectables, male sterilization, rhythm, and withdrawal. Knowledge of injectables has increased far more than any other method, from 54 percent of married women in 1993 to 89 percent in 1998. Unmet Need for Family Planning. Unmet need for family planning services has declined since I993. Data from the 1993 NDS show that 26 percent of currently married women were in need of services, compared with 20 percent in the 1998 NDHS. A little under half of the unmet need is comprised of women who want to space their next birth, while just over half is for women who do not want any more children (limiters). If all women who say they want to space or limit their children were to use methods, the contraceptive prevalence rate could be increased from 47 percent to 70 percent of married women. Currently, about three-quarters of this "total demand" for family planning is being met. Discontinuation Rates. One challenge for the family planning program is to reduce the high levels of contraceptive discontinuation. NDHS data indicate that about 40 percent of contraceptive users in the Philippines stop using within 12 months of starting, almost one-third of whom stop because of an unwanted pregnancy (i.e., contraceptive failure). Discontinuation rates vary by method. Not surprisingly, the rates for the condom (60 percent), withdrawal (46 percent), and the pill (44 percent) are considerably higher than for the 1UD (14 percent). However, discontinuation rates for injectables are relatively high, considering that one dose is usually effective for three months. Fifty-two percent of injection users discontinue within one year of starting, a rate that is higher than for the pill. MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH Childhood Mortality. Survey results show that although the infant mortality rate remains unchanged, overall mortality of children under five has declined somewhat in recent years. Under-five mortality declined from 54 deaths per 1,000 births in 1988-92 to 48 for the period 1993-97. The infant mortality rate remained stable at about 35 per 1,000 births. Childhood Vaccination Coverage. The 1998 NDHS results show that 73 percent of children 12- 23 months are fully vaccinated by the date of the interview, almost identical to the level of 72 percent recorded in the 1993 NDS. When the data are restricted to vaccines received before the child's first birthday, however, only 65 percent of children age 12-23 months can be considered to be fully vaccinated. Childhood Health. The NDHS provides some data on childhood illness and treatment. Approximately one in four children under age five had a fever and 13 percent had respiratory illness in the two weeks before the survey. Of these, 58 percent were taken to a health facility for treatment. Seven percent of children under five were reported to have had diarrhea in the two weeks preceeding the survey. The fact that four-fifths of children with diarrhea received some type of oral rehydration therapy (fluid made from an ORS packet, recommended homemade fluid, or increased fluids) is encouraging. Breastfeeding Practices. Almost all Filipino babies (88 percent) are breastfed for some time, with a median duration of breastfeeding of 13 months. Although breastfeeding has beneficial effects on both the child and the mother, NDHS data indicate that supplementation of breastfeeding with other liquids and foods occurs too early in the Philippines. For example, among newborns less than two months of age, 19 percent were already receiving supplemental foods or liquids other than water. Maternal Health Care. NDHS data point to several areas regarding maternal health care in which improvements could be made. Although most Filipino mothers (86 percent) receive prenatal care from a doctor, nurse, or midwife, tetanus toxoid coverage is far from universal and

Summary

The State of Early Education and Care in Boston: Supply, Demand, Affordability, and Quality, is the first in what is planned as a recurrent landscape survey of early childhood, preschool and childcare programs in every neighborhood of Boston. It focuses on potential supply, demand and gaps in child-care seats (availability, quality and affordability). This report’s estimates set a baseline understanding to help focus and track investments and policy changes for early childhood in the city.

This publication is a culmination of efforts by a diverse data committee representing providers, parents, funding agencies, policymakers, advocates, and researchers. The report includes data from several sources, such as American Community Survey, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, Boston Public Health Commission, City of Boston, among others. For detailed information on methodology, findings and recommendations, please access the full report here

The first dataset contains all Census data used in the publication. Data is presented by neighborhoods:

• Population 0 – 5 years;
• Population 0 – 2 years;
• Population 3 – 5 years;
• Race/ethnicity for children 0 – 4 years (White, non-Hispanic; Black; Asian; Hispanic/Latinx);
• Family type (married couples, female householder, male householder);
• Poverty status;
• Family median income in the past 12 months;
• Average cost of care as a percentage of median family income (infant, preschool);
• Share of families that cannot afford care (infant, preschool)

The Boston Planning & Development Agency Research Division analyzed 2013-2017 American Community Survey data to estimate numbers by ZIP-Code. The Boston Opportunity Agenda combined that data by the approximate neighborhoods and estimated cost of care and affordability.

Additional notes:

• Record Type: Each record represents a ZIP-Code defined neighborhood. See list below for detailed information on Boston ZIP-Codes used to create each one of the 15 neighborhoods.
• Data Quality: Numbers presented here came from 2013-2017 American Community Survey data. Therefore, these are ESTIMATES and have margin of errors. The smaller the geographical unit, the greater the margin of error. The Boston Planning & Development Agency analyzed the data to estimate numbers by ZIP-Code.
• Race/Ethnicity: Non-White Hispanics may be double counted due to data limitations.
• Cost of Care: The average cost of care as a percentage of median family income was computed assuming the annual average cost of infant care was $19,877 and the average cost of preschool care was $ 13,771 (Childcare Aware of America, 2019). For each neighborhood we estimated the impact of child care (infant and preschool) on its median annual family income.
• Affordability: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) sets a standard regarding the affordability of child care, where the annual cost of child care should not exceed 10 percent of household annual income. Using this 10% threshold, we estimated that to afford market rate infant care, a family’s annual income would have to be at least $198,770. The census income bracket closest to this income was a family income of $150,000– 199,999. To afford preschool care, a family's annual income should be at least $137,710. Thus, the census income bracket that encompass this income is $125,000 - 149,999. For both infant and preschool care, we underestimated the number of families that can afford care.